When the forearm is pumped or pulled to the rear the weapon is both chambered, cocked and locked.

The only two ways to unlock the forearm pump is to use the unlock lever or pull the trigger.

When I am storing the shotgun is it ok to leave the pump forearm unlocked so it droops a bit with the gun pointing in the air in a standard rifle rack. The reason I ask this is because I store all my firearms with the hammers, strikers etc in the down or decocked position to keep the tension off of the springs until use.

Or should I store the shotgun with the interanal hammer cocked and the forearm locked into position.

I know this is a stupid newby question but but I am relatively new to pump shotguns, I have shot many but never owned one.

Sorry to dumb down the forum. :0)

Chris

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"Is there anyway I can write my local gun store off on my taxes as dependents?"

Not a dumb question at all; I've got 2 870s, and (since I also don't like to leave a cocked firearm sit for too long), I usually store mine with the hammer dropped on an empty chamber. Some people (usually with small kids in the house), like to store them with the action pumped, bolt closed on an empty chamber, and a trigger lock on the trigger-guard. If you've got one of these "twist-off" numbered combination locks, all you'd need to do would be spin the dial, twist the lock off, then pump once to be in action.

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Gun control in Canada: making the streets safer for rapists, muggers, and other violent criminals since 1936.

My HD 870 was made in 1950. It has been kept cocked for most of the time since. For at least the last 20 years it's been in Cruiser Ready. The action's locked shut on an empty chamber, the mag is full, the safety's on. Putting it into Hot Mode takes but a twinkling for the cognizant, oneheckuvalot longer for kids, other adults, and anyone else who has no business messing with it.

Anyone wanna bet as to whether it'll fire immediately when I want it to?

Since I only have a short barrel Mossberg 500 12 ga, I'm hesitant to ask, but does the same stuff apply to mossbergs?

I recently changed from a cocked, locked, loaded HD config to a hammer down, off-safe, ready to pump mode. (no kids anywhere near) My theory was that if I heard something go bump in the night, I could maybe become coherent enough to remember to rack the slide, but might forget to thumb the ambidextrous, easy-to-use, mossberg safety forward.

I've never had to handle my SG under anything than artificial stress, so What to do... what to do?

FWIW, I have no small kids around and as long as my Lab dosen't grow a thumb, my HD SGs will have the chamber empty, hammer down and ready to go.

Change anything in the current environment and I'll go to a cocked hammer, empty chamber, safety on. That includes acquiring kids or the dog dying. Once I'm asleep, I'm asleep. Have no desire to wake up with a BG in the rooom and wrestling for a SG.

FWIW, the former SO was quite adept at pumping the SG and covering the door. She was not especially good at hitting the bolt release and safety. Worked for us.

As Dave says, it takes some skill to get up and running in that mode. But that's why we have ranges and cheap ammo.

For a couple of reasons, I store my 870 unloaded with the action back and the hammer therefore cocked. I do this so that I can quickly insert a round up the spout from the side saddle and then load the magazine at my leisure.

I don't worry about guns powered by coil springs being left cocked. Guns with leaf springs OTOH are a different matter and I drop the hammers on them (always with snap caps) before storage.

Giz, Pop gave it to me around 1958. Ike. I was 12 then, and have no idea when Pop bought it, tho I recall him saying he got it used. It was ours before 1956.

Bruce, I keep mine like this because it's the way we kept them on post in Md's prison system. It also was great when the little McCs were really little. Having just one Manual Of Arms eliminates fumbling if practiced well.

Whatever system you establish and use, it takes practice to groove it in. This one, after so many years, comes as natural as breathing.

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